In the ideal conditions of college athletics, every team would have its space, but during the winter months, approximately 150 athletes are confined to the limits of Collins Center.

It is not just an issue with getting an adequate practice; there are also safety hazards with the ratio of people to space. Flying baseballs, softballs, basketballs and shot puts seem to be just the beginning when it comes to the “what-ifs.”

If you were to walk into the gym on a cold, Monday afternoon, you would see the chaos of up to three teams practicing at once. When snow is on the fields outside, the baseball and softball teams are fighting for time on the gym floor with the men and women’s basketball teams.

The basketball teams are in season, and only when the teams have away games do the softball and baseball teams seem to get their chance for a decent practice.

The weather is also causing conflict for the track team, which is also in season during the winter. The track that surrounds the gym is not much space for a full team of 70 athletes, which participate in many different events. On an average day, pole-vaulters, jumpers, hurdlers and sprinters all claim a section of the track.

Bags are tossed along the walls on both sides of the gym which creates little space to run by. Sprinters at full speed are attempting to stay in the narrow strip of track that does not have something thrown on it. It can be difficult to avoid every piece of equipment that lays idly on the track, and it’s easy to get a foot caught in the strap of a backpack.

Besides the evident space issue, the flying balls are also causing problems. It’s impossible to expect all the players to catch 100 percent of the passes that are thrown their way. Hearing “heads” is not uncommon while running around the gym, and during a workout it can be difficult to be paying enough attention to avoid a projectile to the head.

Cheerleaders even had to dodge other athletes and their equipment as they practiced for their competition in the evenings, being pushed into the racquetball courts, as other teams wanted time on the gym floor.

Can you feel the chaos?

This is an everyday experience for a Baker University athlete, so if being among the chaos gets your adrenaline pumping, then try going out for a winter sport.